We Have an Attitude of Gratitude!

The Citizenship characteristic of the month comes from our 12 Concepts of Kindness that we explicitly investigate and work on each week in guidance. Septembers focus was Fairness, October was Self-Discipline, and November is all about Gratitude!

One of our all time favorites, Kid President, led us into thoughts of gratitude with this hilarious video that reminds us to be grateful for the little things.

The students then shared things that they were grateful for with the class and created a leaf that reflects their thoughts of gratitude. I was blown away by the genuine sentiments the students shared such as being grateful for school and clean water. Clearly they have a global perspective when they are aware that school is a privilege and that such a unique school experience as ours is something to be grateful for!

I thoroughly enjoyed creating the gratitude tree that is on display near the Multipurpose Room upstairs at MACS.  Over 150 leaves are displayed on it’s branches, bringing it to life. Our motto this month is “we have an attitude of gratitude” or “gratitude is an attitude”. This is a motto to carry with us throughout the year! Having a grateful mindset goes hand in hand with thinking positive and listening to our inner coach over the critic that tends to bring us down. I am grateful for the opportunity to facilitate these moments with our students!

Students continue their practice of being actively grateful through a  100 Thoughts of Gratitude Challenge and their Gratitude Journals which will be on going. Stay tuned!

What questions do you ask after school?

Back-to-school is well under way and I am curious…How are your after school conversations going? Still getting the same old vague interactions and responses?

“How was school?” Followed by “Fine”, “Great”, etc…. One word, no details and your left wondering…Have they done nothing all day?

Trust me, I’m there all day and I know the work; socially, emotionally, and academically that is taking place. It’s incredible really, but how do we get our students to reflect and have pride and ownership of this information?

By asking these three questions you will challenge, engage & connect on a whole new level and may be in disbelief of the conversations that ensue…

1. How were you brave today?

2. How were you kind today?

3. How did you persevere or problem solve after a challenge or failure today?

By asking how your student was brave you are showing interest to know where they took risks. They are sharing moments of strength and confidence and should be proud of that. Any area of the day provides an opportunity for bravery. Maybe they raised their hand to offer an answer, talked to a new friend, or attempted a new concept or skill. 

By asking how your student was kind, you are showing them that compassion for others is important and they should reflect on those moments. They will be sharing moments of empathy with their peers where they connected positively. Kindness matters and it should be highlighted in our conversations with our students. 

By asking how you failed today, you are reminding them that failure and mistakes are opportunities to learn. You are showing them a growth mindset by asking them to look forward through a challenge to the point where they were problem solving and trying a new way through. 

I was inspired by a Huffington post article and was in disbelief when my 3-year-old even responded that she was brave today when we said goodbye at preschool in the morning. Amazing, I dare you to experience the power of intentional conversation with your children. They are developing exponentially and we have to keep up with them by asking the right questions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meg-conley/we-ask-our-kids-the-same-3-questions-every-night_b_11665530.html

 

 

Classes 4 Classes Teacher Ambassador

I was honored and eager to share my passion and this mission on a greater scale when Kaitlin DeBellis, Founder of Classes4Classes, asked me to be a Teacher Ambassador. I can’t think of a more important message to be explicitly teaching and spreading in our schools.

I am thrilled to be changing the way we look at social emotional learning as MicroSociety Academy’s Guidance Counselor, Case Manager, and Special Educator. My passion as a counselor and educator rises out of an understanding that students mental and emotional well being and understanding of self, are an essential component to a successful day at school and a critical component of a functional society.

At our core we all desire to be loved, connected, and accepted. When we are loved and connected we are confident, compassionate, and able to reach our full potential socially and academically. It is my responsibility to help facilitate this connection so that young people will learn their true power and potential. Through my guidance lessons, each week, students work to enhance their social intelligence and use it to inspire, encourage, and uplift others. The impact of this learning is evident in our building…compassion and kindness radiates from our classrooms.

MACS School Counselor invited to present at the 24th Annual MicroSociety Conference in CT!

It was an incredible honor and inspirational experience to present my passion and work at the 24th Annual MicroSociety Conference in Connecticut this past June. Sharing the critical message of social emotional learning with other MicroSociety Schools from across the country  was a wonderful opportunity! We truly have a special school and to be able to share that with other educators so that they might be able to incorporate some of it into their school communities feels incredible. My colleague, friend , and Founder of Classes4Classes, Kaitlin DeBellis, was able to join me and share about C4C and our inspiring collaboration. This program has enriched our school community and expanded our connection to the surrounding community and beyond. With a spotlight on our unique focus of Social Emotional Learning as a key factor in student success and a priority in student learning, MicroSociety Academy is growing rapidly. We are lucky to be building this story together.

MACS School Honors from MicroSociety Annual Conference highlighted in local news!!!

Honored, literally and figuratively, to have our incredible school and a mention of my conference presentation on social emotional learning in our local news. Telegraph and Patch:) Please Read!

http://patch.com/new-hampshire/nashua/microsociety-academy-receives-honors-education-conference-0

Kate Dagianis, MACS School Counselor, spotlights social emotional learning and Classes4Classes collaboration on local news interview!

MACS on the radio 💕

DREAMVISIONS 7 RADIO NETWORK WELCOMES KAITLIN ROIG-DEBELLIS, SANDY HOOK TEACHER & FOUNDER OF CLASSES 4 CLASSES TO THE KIDS 4 LOVE PROJECT RADIO SHOW

Joining us: Kate Dagianis, Guidance Counselor at MicroSociety Academy Charter School is the first C4C school in New Hampshire, enabled by our collaboration with The Kraft Family Foundation (Mr. Robert Kraft)

Listening details here!

If you missed us live, tune in:

Wednesday 15th 4am/4pmET

Saturday 18th 9am/9pmET

Sandy Hook Teacher Visits MicroSociety Academy Charter School

Kaitlin M. Roig-Debellis, former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher and hero, who saved her first graders in Newtown, CT in 2012, founder of a non-profit organization “Classes4Classes”, and author of the book Choosing Hope, visited the MicroSociety Academy Charter School in Nashua, NH on Friday, May 20. She came at the invitation of MACS guidance counselor, Kate Dagianis, to participate in a series of classes with students and staff that promote the school’s on-going “Kindness” initiative and a key part of the MicroSociety’s HEART strand theme. Ms. Roig-Debellis also spent the evening with MACS at the Nashua Country Club for their first annual auction gala as the guest speaker and signed copies of her new book Choosing Hope.

“One of the most important things we can pass onto our children are the values of kindness, empathy, and compassion.” That is the essence of the Heart Strand of MicroSociety Academy Charter School and the mission of the social emotional learning that the school’s guidance counselor, Kate Dagianis, shares with the students each week. “It was a seamless connection to incorporate the mission of Classes 4 Classes into our guidance lessons.” says Mrs. Dagianis. “The beauty of our collaboration continues to unfold as Classes 4 Classes inspires and enhances our social emotional learning and school community! “

On January, 19th, 2016, out of Greenwich CT, newswire.com released some exciting news for Classes 4 Classes that influenced MACS… “- Classes for Classes, Inc. (C4C), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization announced a new collaboration with The Kraft Family Foundation. The mission of C4C is to teach children the power of kindness and compassion through their ability to gift projects to other classrooms, and inspire positive change for students across the country. As a result of this collaboration with The Kraft Family Foundation, C4C will expand to include more schools throughout New England.” MicroSociety Academy Charter School is thrilled to be paving the way as the first class in New Hampshire supporting this critical initiative. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots Football team and franchise, shares his sentiments about supporting Classes 4 Classes…

“I can’t think of a more important lesson for children to learn first hand. Even at a young age, children should be aware that we are all connected and that everyone has the power to take action and help others,” -Robert Kraft

 

Kate Dagianis reflects, “The students at MACS are elated and humbled by the thought of such an organization giving our small, new school an opportunity to grow closer together and showcase what makes us a really special society. One act of kindness is leading us towards something much greater and maybe bigger than we will even see this year. I believe this project and collaboration will impact our students in a way that will resonate with them for a lifetime.”

Kaitlin brought C4C to life, as she enjoyed a special day at MACS with the staff, and students, reflecting on her journey and sharing her story. We all experience difficult moments through each day and in our lives and we have the power to choose how we move forward from that moment. Students wrote about why they will choose kindness and illustrated the beauty of that choice. Student work will be displayed as a whole school mural at MACS.

“Classes 4 Classes is thrilled to expand to New Hampshire, and specifically to MACS! When I spent the day at the school, with each grade level it was very clear that it is an incredibly special place. The teachers embrace social emotional learning and its’ importance to student success. This has been led at their school by Mrs. Dagianis’, and her leadership to ensure students have a social emotional intelligence is quite admirable. We are grateful to our collaboration with Mr. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, to enable this connection! We look forward to working with MACS again next school year to help bolster what they are already doing so right.”

– Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis

In her book, Choosing Hope, Kaitlin discusses her journey from the darkness of that day and the choices she made in moving forward. “… Rather than consuming myself with the horror of what happened, I began focusing on the good that could be done, and how I might take part in collective healing … When I reached the crossroads in my journey back from that terrible day in 2012, I chose hope. And that has made all the difference.”

Kaitlin shared this message and the power of choice with the students at MACS and the supporting community at the gala event that evening. The message is simple, yet profound, and one we can all connect to. We have a choice in each difficult moment, to be defined by that moment, and be held back, or to chose hope, to see the good, listen to our inner coach, and build ourselves, and each other up.

#Kindnessmatters

So many wonderful people have come together to create an environment where children, programs, and collaborations can flourish. Under the leadership of Director, Amy Bottomley, and support of the board of Trustees, MACS has transcended challenges facing charter schools and set us on a great path for continuous growth. Amy Bottomley, extends her sincerest thanks to the Board of Trustees, families, and friends of MACS for making the First Annual Auction Gala a huge success raising $11,000 for the students and programs. “A special thank you to our Bronze sponsor, Bazzani Chiropractic in Nashua and numerous local business. Charter schools are underfunded compared to district public schools, and the support of our community brings programs and technologies to the students of MACS we would otherwise not have. Thank you!” – Amy Bottomley, School Director

• To support our C4C project page along with Robert Kraft, please visit C4C Project Page!

• For more information on MicroSociety Academy Charter School (MACS), please visit MACS online.

• For more information on our social emotional learning (SEL) please follow Mrs. Dagianis’ blog to stay updated on our awesome program!

• If you are interested in your child participating in our Camp Kindness, this summer, please see the schools website and sign up today!

• Signed copies of Choosing Hope are at your local bookshop – Toad Stool Bookstore

MACS welcomes Mrs. Kaitlin Roig-Debellis!

Students anxiously anticipated the arrival of the creator of Classes 4 Classes which has inspired our social emotional learning to reach new distances and depths with our students and school community as a whole. Each grade, K-5, took part in creating a thank you gift for Katilin to present her at our whole school assembly on Friday, May 20th.

Kindergarten authored and illustrated a book titled What Kindness Looks Like to me. 

    
First and second grade read the book Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. We rewrote the book to reflect our power of choice and titled it Alexander Chooses to Have a Great Day! 

   

Third grade authored and illustrated a book titled The 12 Concepts of Kindness. 

4th/5th graders were asked to reflect and find a connection to a quote I found relevant to our C4C mission.

“Do a deed of simple kindness; though it’s end you may not see, it may reach like widening ripples, down a long eternity.”   – Joseph Norris 

1. What does this mean to you?

2. How do you represent this?

3. Why is this important?

 

Thank you so much Katilin for all you’ve shared with us at MACS, and looking forward to our collaborations to come!